Influential people named, only clerks arrested

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the court on Monday that an official had been deputed to “seize the file of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, New Delhi. The concerned file relating to CRZ correspondence by the Mantralaya could not be traced”.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the court on Monday that an official had been deputed to “seize the file of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, New Delhi. The concerned file relating to CRZ correspondence by the Mantralaya could not be traced”.

The defence lawyer argued that the CBI, which had claimed that influential people were involved in the scam, had failed to question or arrest any such person and had instead arrested lowly clerks.

This was the second time Benjamin was questioned last week. Before this he was questioned on Wednesday.

CBI sources said Benjamin was questioned on whether he was aware of the missing files and if he had made any efforts to trace them. The CBI would again question Benjamin on the UDD allowing Adarsh to use a portion of floor space index (FSI) to construct additional flats instead of keeping the same for recreational grounds.

Benjamin who had taken over from Ramanand Tiwari – one of the accused named by the CBI – had allowed the construction of additional flats in 2009 after the then Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad some changes to the proposal. However, after the controversy erupted, the permission was revoked.

CBI sources have not ruled out questioning Gaikwad, now chief secretary of the state, in connection with the controversy.